1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a switch assembly, and more particularly, to a switch assembly which employs a plurality of switches or switch units and includes a lever for turning off all switches housed in a switch case.
2. Description of the related Art
Various constructions are known in this kind of switch assembly. The following is a representative of this kind of switch assembly. This switch assembly is provided with a first switch unit, a second switch unit, and a third switch unit, each having a control lever for allowing the corresponding switch to take ON and contact holder which have movable contacts and moves from an OFF position to an ON position in unison with the movement of the lever. In this switch assembly, when one of the switches is disposed at the ON position by operating the corresponding lever, the contact holder takes the ON position and is locked by a lock member in the switch case. Thus, the movable contact held by the contact holder contacts fixed contacts on a substrate in the switch case. The switch assembly is further provided with a special release lever for turning off all the switches. When the release lever is operated, the contact holders at the ON positions are released from the lock member so that the contact holders together with the control lever return to the OFF positions.
The above-described switch assembly has, however, a disadvantage in that a large switch case is required because it must house not only all the switch units, namely, the first, second, and third switch units, but also a special release lever.